The First Swimming Lesson

"Hold it in. Don't laugh."

The expression on Natsukawa's face right now was just like Faker's after the match against LNG at the 2023 World Championship. The corners of his mouth were even harder to keep down than AK's.

He'd made a killing with that move. It was a real windfall.

A million points... a million! His first pot of gold, and it was his!

He clenched his fist, feeling his heart pound with excitement. He didn't show it, but carrying a debt of twenty million had always weighed on him. Now, at last, a crack had appeared in that dark cloud.

"Stay calm. This is only the beginning." He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to settle down, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement. This money wasn't just points; it was the first lever he could use to shape his future at this school, where ability was everything.

After collecting himself, Natsukawa left the meeting room and headed toward the classroom. He hadn't gone far when he ran into his seatmate behind him, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, at a corner.

"Hey, Ayanokoji." Natsukawa greeted him in a good mood.

Ayanokoji nodded and fell into step beside him, his expression blank, though internally he began to grumble: Natsukawa's expression... Did something good happen to him? Maybe he found some money? No, at this school, the odds of finding money were lower than getting hit by a meteor.

They walked side by side, making idle conversation.

"We have swimming class this afternoon, right?" Natsukawa asked casually.

"Yeah."

"Can you swim?"

"A little," Ayanokoji replied, thinking, The White Room's curriculum covered every survival skill. Swimming was basic. Still, I need to keep my performance in the middle of the pack this afternoon.

When the two returned to the classroom, there was still some time before class. Kanji Ike, Yamauchi Haruki, Ken Sudō, and a few others had gathered together, loudly discussing the afternoon swimming lesson, their faces alight with excitement.

"Hey, hey, we have swimming class this afternoon!"

"Awesome! I can finally show off!"

"The real highlight is the girls' swimsuits! Heh heh heh..."

"Doc, you'll make sure to take good notes, right?"

"..."

Just as their slightly lecherous laughter rang out, the light at the classroom entrance dimmed, and Horikita Suzune walked in. She still looked as cold as ever, her long black hair falling neatly down her back, as if she had an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance. She walked straight to her seat without looking around, but as she passed Ike and the others, her delicate brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

She happened to pass near Natsukawa and Ayanokoji. Her cool voice carried a trace of barely concealed sarcasm. "How noisy. Seeing them so... energetic makes me increasingly doubt whether this school is really as 'kind' as it seems."

Natsukawa smiled, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "Maybe it's a way of weeding people out, Horikita. Those without 'ability.'"

Horikita glanced at Natsukawa, a thoughtful glint passing through her reddish-purple eyes. "Really, Natsukawa? How much else do you know about this school?"

"Nothing more, Horikita. We're all in the same class. I don't know any more than you do..."

Just then, the boys' voices grew louder. Their conversation had shifted without the slightest attempt at discretion to the classic adolescent topic of which girl in their class had the biggest breasts. They had even started a betting pool.

A look of boredom crossed Horikita's face. She glanced at the boys, her contempt undisguised. "Utterly pointless." Leaving those words behind, she went straight back to her seat, picked up a book, and shut out the commotion around her.

Before long, Ike and the others left the classroom early and rushed straight to the changing rooms, their impatience plain to see.

"Let's go too," Natsukawa said to Ayanokoji.

The two headed to the changing rooms at an unhurried pace and changed into their swim trunks. Looking at Ayanokoji's seemingly lean frame and smooth muscle definition, Natsukawa thought, So this is what the White Room produces? Looks can be deceiving.

When they reached the pool, they found a huge indoor swimming pool with crystal-clear water. Ike was already splashing around in it, shouting, "Holy crap! This pool's even better than the ones at commercial swimming centers!"

After quite a few boys got into the water, their eyes kept drifting toward the girls' changing room, anticipating the "scenery" to come. But when the girls started coming out one after another, many of them looked disappointed.

That was because a lot of the girls, especially those with the most striking figures, like Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi, were wearing their school uniforms and sitting in the stands beside the pool. They were only observing.

"Ah... Why are so many of them just observing..." Yamauchi Haruki lamented.

Natsukawa's gaze swept across the stands, and he soon spotted a familiar figure. Sakura Airi was indeed sitting there, still wearing her thick glasses. Even her school uniform couldn't completely hide her figure. She seemed a little uneasy, her hands resting on her knees and her gaze lowered.

As if they shared a connection, Sakura happened to look up just as Natsukawa glanced her way. Their eyes met. Sakura flinched like a startled fawn. Natsukawa gave her a warm smile and waved gently.

Sakura's cheeks visibly reddened. She instinctively started to raise her hand in response, but as soon as her arm lifted a little, she seemed to realize they were in public. Her movement froze, and in the end she only gave an extremely slight, quick nod before shyly lowering her head. Her fingers twisted together nervously, but the tips of her ears, faintly red, betrayed the turmoil inside her.

Just then, the PE teacher blew the whistle for everyone to gather. Seeing that so many of the girls were only observing, he announced, hoping to motivate the students: "For today's swimming test, the fastest student in each of the boys' and girls' groups will receive an extra five thousand personal points! But anyone who fails will stay after school for extra practice!"

"Five thousand points!" The crowd stirred.

Natsukawa did a quick calculation. Forget the reward. With my mediocre skills, I just hope I don't get stuck with extra practice.

After the warm-up, training began. In his previous life, Natsukawa had been from southern China. He could swim a little, but only well enough not to drown. His form was ugly, and he was slow. He glanced at Sudō, who seemed to have a motor installed, then at Ayanokoji, who was doggy-paddling with dead-fish eyes even while swimming, and decisively chose to ask for help.

"Ayanokoji, help me out. Can you check my form? Something feels off."

Ayanokoji silently watched him for two seconds, then nodded. "Raise your arms a little higher. Keep your kicks smaller."

With Ayanokoji's brief but precise instructions, Natsukawa managed to improve his form a little. When the test came, he gave it everything he had and just barely scraped past the passing mark, avoiding the nightmare of extra practice. Ayanokoji, meanwhile, finished tenth. How thrilling. He'd nearly been sent to extra practice too. (In a deadpan voice.)

"Thanks, Ayanokoji. I owe you one," Natsukawa said, panting.

"No need to thank me. Friends should help each other. Isn't that what you said?"

After the test, Natsukawa and Ayanokoji climbed out of the pool and sat down to rest on the open space beside it. Just then, a brimming-with-energy figure came walking over to them, greeting them as they approached.